About Us
VCAPS is a joint project of the Social and Environmental Research Institute and the Carolinas Integrated Sciences and Assessments Program. The development of VCAPS and its application have been collaborative efforts by a number of people from multiple institutions.
Who We Are
Social and Environmental Research Institute (SERI)
Seth Tuler, Research Fellow, Social and Environmental Research Institute
sptuler@seri-us.org
Tom Webler, Research Fellow, Social and Environmental Research Institute
twebler@seri-us.org
Carolinas Integrated Sciences and Assessments (CISA)
Kirstin Dow, Professor of Geography, University of South Carolina, Columbia, and Principal Investigator, Carolinas Integrated Sciences and Assessments (CISA) Program
dowk@usc.edu
Previously with Sea Grant
Jessica Whitehead, Chief Resilience Officer, North Carolina Department of Public Safety, Division of Emergency Management, Office of Recovery & Resiliency
jessica.whitehead@ncdps.gov
Our Funding
Some of Our Research Projects
- Promoting climate change awareness and adaptive planning in Atlantic fisheries communities using dialogue-based participatory vulnerability analysis. Funded by the NOAA Coastal Oceans Climate Adaptation (COCA) Program. Awarded to Social and Environmental Research Institute, with Thomas Webler, Seth Tuler, Jessica Whitehead (South Carolina Sea Grant), Esperanza Stanicoff (Maine Sea Grant). 2012–2014. More information here.
- Using participatory scenario building to encourage climate-resilient zoning in the coastal Carolinas. Funded by the National Sea Grant Program. Awarded to Carolina Sea Grant, with Jessica Whitehead, Thomas Webler, and Seth Tuler. 2012–2014.
- Improving understandings of consequences, vulnerabilities, and adaptation strategies to climate change related hazards. Funded by MIT Sea Grant. Awarded to Social and Environmental Research Institute, with Seth Tuler and Thomas Webler. February 2011 – January 2014 . More information here.
- Informing coastal management adaptation planning and decision making for climate change using an interactive risk-based vulnerability assessment tool. Funded by the NOAA Sectoral Applications Research Program (SARP). Awarded to Social and Environmental Research Institute, with Seth Tuler, Thomas Webler, Kirstin Dow (University of South Carolina), and Jessica Whitehead (South Carolina Sea Grant). 1 August 2009 – 31 December 2011. More information here.
Consulting
- Mississippi and Alabama Sea Grant to support VCAPS process in Orange Beach, Alabama and Dauphin Island, Alabama. 2012.
What VCAPS enabled us to do was engage all these other actors, beyond the particular departments that are already involved in climate change. It enabled us to spread that message to other city departments and even state agencies. . . .
